Indicating device for voting-machines



B. L. BOBROFF. mmm-ING nEvzcE For: vome MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23,1911. y 1,328,613, Patented Jan. 20,1920. 2SHEETS-SHEET I- ,SY NN J ww. L Mwmwww M QM. am ww N LwmNH B. L..B0BR0FF.

INDICATING DEVICE FOR VOTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILI-:n ILY 23, 1917'.

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narran ze BORNETT L. BOBROEF,

WISCONSIN.

0F NILNUKEE, VJ 15C@ MENTS, TO EDVJABD DILLMANN AND FFlQEO INDICATINGDECE Tri/'GTTGJHACHINES.

Application filed Si'uly 0" To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, BonNnTT L. Bonnorr, a citizen of the United States,and resident if iiilwaulree, in the county of lliilwaulee and Statelllfisconsin, have invented. certain new and useful linprovenients inIndicating Oevices for Voting-Machines; and l do hereby declare that thefollowing` is a o enact descriotion thereof.

`ion pertains to new and useful improvements in indicating devicesparticularly ot' that type adapted to be used with voting apparatus. I

it is priinarily the. object this invention to provide an indicatingdevice in coinbination with a switch whereby upon operation of thelatter, a synibol will be displayed which will be siinilar to thatreoistrated on a voting` inachine., whereby the voter inay ascertainwhether or not his vote has been correctly recorded.

lt is further an object ot this invention to simplify and otherwiseiinprove devices of this general character. the operation ot which willbe exce dingly positive.

lith the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in thenovel construction', combination and arrangement orp parts substantiallyas hereinatter described and particularly defined in the appendedclainis, it being understood that suoli changes .in the preciseembodiment o" the herein disclosed i vent-ion may be inside as coniewithin the scope ot the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings l iave illustrated one complete example. otthe physical embodiment ot iny invention constructed according` to thebest inode have so tar devised tor the practical application ot theprinciples thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation with parts broken away 'for the purposeot illustrating structural details, said view being taken looking at therear ot the device with the casing` or cover therefor removed, and 'avotingmachine havingan electrical circuit connecting the saine with theswitch niechanisin being` shown diagraininatically.

Fig. 2 is a View part in section and part in elevation, said view beingtaken on the plane indicated by line 2 2 of F ig. l:

F ig. 3 is a View in elevation looking at the front of my device.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iov,

Patented Jan. 20, 1920. Serial No. 182,163.

F e is a transverse sectional view taken on t e 'ne el` l ot Fig. 2, and

Fig. is a plan view Of the symbol carrying indicator employed' with inyswitcl ineclianisni.

Referring now more particularly to the accoinpanying` drawings, 5designates a front or base plato ot the invention, adapted to be securedto any suitable support, and carried on this base plate is an oblonginsulating block 6 which has secured to each end of its outer tace aside laterally turned for the reception of a binding screw 8, andhaving' secured there to a preferably conventional contact strip 9ii-shaped in cross section to trictionally receive a switch arni.Secured to the central portion of the block and projecting laterallytherefrom in the direction Ot a lock ineinber preferably of theconventional Yale type is a` contact plate 10 and this contact plate hassecured thereto a coninion wire 1l of a pair ot' circuits including,rwires l2 connected with the binding screws 8, the structure describedthus forming the stationary contacts of a two-way switch.

The lock ineniber comprises a barrel l?) and this barrel is passedthrough the front or base plate 5 and is secured thereto by a peripheralflange l'- on its outer end and by a nut l5 threaded on its body andclamping the base plate against the flange, the barrel being preferablyflattened longitudinally to prevent its rotation relative to the plate.Projecting from the barrel is a spindle 16, held against relativeinoveinent longitudinally or the barrel by a plate, not shown, on theinner end oi the barrel, and this spindle has secured by ineans ofscrews 18 to said projected end an insulating block 19 which carries aswitch arm 20 projecting` between the contact ineinbers 9. This switcharin is resiliently urged to a position intermediate ot the contactinenibers 9 by spring wire 21 coiled about the projected end ot thespindle and having` its ends extenderL radially thereof and adapted tobear against al pin 22 projecting from the lock barrel 13 and againstthe laterally directed linger of a segmental gear to be later described.

The contact plate 10 is resilient in nature, and has its free enddisposed adjacent the axis of the lock, and passed through said plate 7having one free end in alineinent with said lock axis is a contact screw2li bearing against the switch arm 'EO and providing for flow or"current through said switch arin. troni the contact plate, the end ofthe screw heine' tapered to permit tree rotation or the arm.

rlhe outer side 'portions or the switch arn are cut away, and disposedtransversely of the intermediate portion oitl the arin Q0 are plates 25between the outer projected ends oi which are pivoted the rear ends ofite sections 26 which normally,v urged in abutting relation with thesides the arm a coiled spring QT secured thereto and traversing the arm.The rear inner sides of' these' knife sections are beveled to ahnt thesides of the arm and liznit the outward pivotal movement of thesections.

Taking up .now the operation o' the inten-- tion the spindle lf3 isturned in either dire tion ov means oi 'the usual hoy 28 oi lock, toengage the switch arm 20 and the adjacent side knite sections n"thereoil .vitha0 in either of the U-shaped Contact members 9, it beingnoted that the laterally turned sides of the plates 7 torni stopslimiting movement of 'the switch arm that the contact members 9 are oilsuticient 'v procure Contact engagement thereo both the switch arm 2Oand knife section 25. Upon rcleosi g the l .i the sivitch arm Willimmediately inove hac to intermediate position under actiofi tl spring21. The resilient stron, shaped contact members 9, greater than theresilient strength or n.5 spring 27, and thus in moving 'from contactingrelation with one of th Contact meinhers 9, the adjacent knife se. "en26 'would he retained tnerein ainL Wonid pivotally With respect to theswitch A upon the knife section reaching ith pivotal movement, it wouldhe relel f the contact member 9, and the. ing` then under tension wouldsnapping` movement. rl he trio inf'-` eireuits formed by these parts andth.rx l1 and l2 each are connected to the soie-ironie l? which operatean indicating disk 17', hut any other suitable indicating device soukLequally,7 as ".vell user.

The structure just deined constitutes no important feature of this inveLits combination with the indicating if 3; which l einploj,7 and which isoper d4hie upon the movement of the stitch arm can?)- block 19. y

Mounted upon tl e front or hase plate 5 and disposed ahore 'the spindlei6, is a shaft 29 on which is loosely jonrnaled indicator disk 30 havingthereon suitable s as in this instance, PB, N0, and l l ed to registerwith a sight opening in the front plate 5. T his disk 30 normally urgedto non-indicating position by means with 'he adi arent neaeis ig 32having its end secured to of? a coil sprii the shank 3G the disk 30 andits outer end securedL to a post 33 mounted upon f i. L late 5. lln orler to provide for the limiting oif the return movement or the diskmeans of spring 32, a stop 34: in torni a lug is provided on the rear:tace or risk 3U and is adapted to ahnt a cushioned stop 35 ded by a.post 36 projecting rearwardly 'ono the loase plate 5, said post 15Gbeing approximately on the saine horizontal plane as post 33 anddisposed on the side ot dist: 30 opposite said post 33.

also loosely journaled on shaft 29, outn'ard ot disk SO, is a tooth gearWheel 37 in inesh with a segr rental gear 58 carried hy the block 19, Aclutch connection 39 is l between the shank 80 of the indir disk and theshank oi' gear 37 and said clutch 39 is normally urged to operativeenfD/'ageinent by means ot a spring e() coiled about the outer end ofshaft :29 and bearing against the outer 'face or' gear 37 and the inner:tace or a Washer -ll carried by said outer end 'ot shai't 29.

its 'will be readilj,7 understood when the witch arm if() .is i'nored tothe right, Fig. l, to engagement with contact 9 the indicator 17 ot thevoting machine will he advanced to the first syinlool YES and is thenreturned to normal position, and if the a m S0 is again moved to theright to con'- 1 with einher 9, the second syinoo NO l ppear, and so on,and 'when it is oeto return the indicator 17 to normal vion ornon-registering position the blade is moved to engage with contactmember to the lett of llig. l.

will be understood when the ari'n 2O is moved to the right, themechanism being viewed as in Fig. l, it advances the indicadisk 30 tothe first sj/inhol thereon. 53, corresponding with the iirst symbol thevoting machine and when arrn returns to neutral oosition the disk 30Will refrain indicative position, the dog or pand f carried by springineinher e3 having one end secured to post 36 engaging one orn the to@ sratchet teeth dit formed on the shank 30 outward or' clutch member o9,

li? the arm 20 is again moved to the right, tno "neclianisin 1oeingviewed as in Fig. l, the sk 30 is advanced to the second symbol NC-f andat 'the saine time the correspondinp; svinlool on the risk 17 of thevoting machine is displayed, the dog 42 again preventing the return otthe disk by means of 'll be readily seen when the arm 2O ni be obvious.

To provide for the return of disk 30 to non-registering position, a lug45 is provided on the under face of gear 37 and this lug is shoulderedas at 45 for engagement with the end of spring member 43 outward of lug42, as later described. Upon the movement of arm 2O to the left, themechanism being viewed as in F ig. l, the disk 17 of the voting machineis returned to nonregistering position as hereinbefore described, and atthe same time gear 37 is revolved, the clutch member 39 slipping, untilthe cam face of lug 45 engages the outer end of spring member 43 andrides thereon until its shoulder portion 45 engages the same anddisengages lug 42 from teeth 44, and at the same time breaks clutch 39permitting the spring 32 to return the disk to nonregistering position.When the arm 2O is returned to normal position by means of its spring2l, the gear wheel 237 will be rotated disengaging lug 45 from springmember 43 permitting the parts to again resume their normal position,ready to be again operated.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings it will be readily seen that I have devised a practical andefficient means for simultaneously registering at the operating switchthe vote registered at the voting machine.

I claim:

l. An indicating device including a shaft, an indicating disk rotatableon the shaft and having symbols thereon adapted to successively move toindicating position upon rotation of the disk, an operating memberrevoluble on the shaft, a releasable connection between said member andthe disk, means for rotat-ing` the member in one direction to revolvethe disk in one direction whereby to successively bring the symbols onthe latter into indicatingposition, means connected with said disk tohold the same in one of its indicating' positions, said operating memberbeing movable in a reverse direction without actuating said disk, andmeans carried by the operating member for releasing the last mentionedmeans when said member is rotated in a reverse direction.

2. An indicating` device including a shaft, an indicating disk rotatableon the shaft and har/*ing symbols thereon adapted to successively moveto indicating position, means for normally urging the disk tonon-indieating position, a gear wheel slidable and rotatable on theshaft, co-acting clutch teeth on the adjacent faces of the wheel anddisk, a stop on the end of the shaft, an eX- pansible 'spring on saidshaft between said stop and gear wheel to normally urge the lattertoward the disk, means for rotating the gear wheel. in either direction,it being adapted to revolve the disk when moved in one direction, andmeans for holding said disk in the positions in which it is moved by thegear wheel. v

S. in indicating device including a shaft, an indicating disk on theshaft having symbols thereon adapted to successively move to indicatingposition upon rotation of the disk, an actuating collar on the shaft, aclutch connection between the collar and the disk, means for rotatingthe collar to procure rotation of the disk, ratchet teeth carried by thedisk, a pawl engageable with the ratchet teeth to prevent rotationthereof in one direction, means urging said disk to rotation in saiddirection, and an abutment carried by the actuating collar andengageable with said pawl to retract the same.

4. In a device of the class described, a carrying plate having a sightopening therein, a shaft supported by the plate, an indicating diskrotatable on the shaft and having symbols thereon adapted to registerwith the sight opening, an operating member revoluble on the shaft, areleasable connection between the member and the disk, means forrotating the member in one direction to revolve the disk in onedirection whereby to successively bring the symbols on the latter intoregistration with the sight opening, means connected with said disk tohold the same in one of its indicating positions, said operating memberbeing movable in reverse direction without actuating said disk, andmeans carried by 'the operating member for releasing the last mentionedmeans when said member is rotated in a reverse direction.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atMilwaukea'in the county of Milwaukee and State of lisconsin. u

BORNETT L. BOBROFF.

